O-320 c/s RV-4's seem very rare

I'm in the market for an RV-4 and from what I've read in the forum here is that some consider the ideal config to be an O-320 with a constant speed prop. I tend to agree with that but as I search the world over for RV-4's it seems as if that configuration is very rare.

Any idea why that might be? Or maybe it isn't that rare and it's just that none of those have come up for sale.

thanks

My theory is that there seems to be two dominant schools of thought amongst builders of RV-4's :

1) Build it light... O-320 and a wood or composite FP prop makes for a nimble handling and well-balanced airplane that is a delight to fly.

2) Muscle plane... IO-360 and CS prop, makes for a bit of a heavy plus noseheavy airplane but as Tim the Tool Man Taylor always said, "More Power, More Power grunt-grunt-grunt! Takeoff and climb performance like a top fuel dragster. Able to blow past Vne in level cruise with ease. The guys who fly these can be easily spotted by their right foot and calf muscles being double the size of their left from always having to stand so hard on the right rudder pedal

Edited to add: Probably also a significant contributing factor to the lack of 320/CS RV4s out there is that, if you're building a plane and are already committed to the large expense of the CS prop then it makes also going up from a 320 to a 360 engine such a small additional increment in cost that it seems like a no-brainer to go with the 360.

I have an IO-360 with a WW-150 prop and my empty weight (w oil) is a 1033 pounds and my empty weight cg is within a 1/2" of the numbers posted by vans in the builder manual. The whirlwind prop is half the weight of a hartzells.

I believe the reason you don't see many O-320 powered RV-4's with CS props is because in the heydays of the RV-4 there weren't many O-320's with CS props on certified airplanes to take the engines from.

It has only been in the last 10 to 15 years that homebuilders started using primarily new engines.

That is also about the time Van's introduced their match hole technology with the RV-8, 7, and 9.

I have seen several RV-4's with CS props. They guys that have them like them and tend not to sell them.

The other theories about the 320 FP, 360 CS, plus the -8 and -7 PP kits are also valid.

Have IO 320 CS

have one. Love it way too much to sell it.
Fly with a bunch of pals that have different set ups.
Mine really shines in the pattern.
Daddyman

Looked on trade a plane yesterday and found one of the 4 for sale has CS O-320.
Daddyman

daddyman said:

Looked on trade a plane yesterday and found one of the 4 for sale has CS O-320.
Daddyman

Click to expand...

Really? I look there eveyr day and the only C/S props I see are O-360. I just looked again and I don't see it. I see O-320's with wood or Sensenich props (which I take to be metal), and O-360's with c/s and one O-360 with a FP prop.

Can you post the particulars?

Saville said:

Really? I look there eveyr day and the only C/S props I see are O-360. I just looked again and I don't see it. I see O-320's with wood or Sensenich props (which I take to be metal), and O-360's with c/s and one O-360 with a FP prop.

Can you post the particulars?

Click to expand...

Gregg,
Posting the particulars would be a violation of Doug's posting rules (below, and under the POSTING RULES link at the top left of every page under the VAF logo).

Posts that will be deleted 100% of the time:

Posts complaining about why a post was deleted. This is called 'mod-baiting'.

Duplicate posts

Non-RV posts.

Links to video clips showing illegal and unsafe flying (like buzzing a house or rolls over a congested area). My thoughts on safety.

"For Sale: 1965 Cessna C-172....selling to buy RV tail kit." (the one exception: an airpark home or lot)

"Funny video clip of guys blowing up anvils." ....although I gotta admit that WAS a pretty funny clip.

Posts promoting individual-sponsored group buys. (here's why)

eBay, Trade'a'Plane, Barnstormes, etc. links in the classifieds.

This thread may not be in the classifieds, but my bet is it would be close enough to get the offending post canned. Send Daddyman a PM and ask him to email you the particulars.

Welll I certainly don't want to break the rules.

Please disregard my request to post the particulars.